Impact of an AI-assisted automated system on the clinical workload of orthopedic trauma surgeons and the quality of medical documentation

Background. The increasing volume of clinical information under conditions of limited time and human resources places a substantial burden on medical personnel and increases the risk of errors in routine tasks, including the completion of medical records. Automation of medical documentation using artificial intelligence (AI) technologies represents a promising approach to reducing time costs and improving the quality of clinical data management. The aim of the study — to evaluate the impact of an AI-assisted automated system on the clinical workload of an orthopedic trauma surgeon and the quality of medical documentation. Methods. A retrospective comparative before-after study was conducted. An automated system integrating automatic speech recognition (ASR), natural language processing (NLP), and generative text modules was implemented in the clinical workflow. Three orthopedic trauma surgeons with more than 10 years of professional experience participated in the study. Data from 480 electronic medical records of patients hospitalized for primary total hip arthroplasty were analyzed (240 before and 240 after system implementation). The following parameters were evaluated: time required for completing medical records, frequency of record returns for correction by the quality control department, subjective workload assessed using the adapted Russian version of the NASA-TLX, and physician satisfaction assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. Results. After system implementation, the average time required to complete a full medical record decreased from 92.4±14.7 to 48.1±11.2 minutes (p 0.001). The proportion of records returned for revision decreased from 18.3% to 6.7% (p = 0.004). The mean NASA-TLX score reflecting subjective workload decreased from 67.5±8.2 to 48.9±7.1 (p = 0.002). Physician satisfaction with the system averaged 4.3 out of 5.0 points on the Likert scale. Conclusion. Implementation of an automated system incorporating artificial intelligence technologies significantly reduces the time required for medical documentation, improves its quality, and decreases the cognitive workload of physicians. These findings support the potential of AI-based tools to optimize clinical workflows and improve efficiency in orthopedic practice.